Rooney Mara
| birth_place = Bedford, New York, U.S. | education = New York University (BA) | occupation = Actress | partner = Joaquin Phoenix (2016–present) | residence = Los Angeles, California, U.S. | years_active = 2005–present | family = Rooney, Mara | relatives = Kate Mara (sister) }} Patricia Rooney Mara ( ; born April 17, 1985) is an American actress. She began her career in independent films, such as the coming-of-age drama film Tanner Hall (2009), before starring as Nancy Holbrook in the 2010 remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street and as Erica Albright in the biographical drama film The Social Network (2010). In 2011, Mara had a career breakthrough when she portrayed Lisbeth Salander, the title character in David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, based on Stieg Larsson's Millennium book series. She received critical acclaim for her performance and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. In 2013, she starred in the thriller Side Effects, the independent drama Ain't Them Bodies Saints, and the acclaimed sci-fi romantic drama Her. At the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, she tied for the Best Actress Award for her role in the Todd Haynes drama film Carol (together with Emmanuelle Bercot for Mon roi); she was also nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance. The following year, she starred opposite Dev Patel in the biographical drama Lion. In 2017, she played the lead roles in the supernatural drama A Ghost Story and Terrence Malick's romantic drama Song to Song. In 2018, she starred in Gus Van Sant's comedy-drama Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot and portrayed Catholic saint Mary Magdalene in the biblical drama Mary Magdalene. Mara is also known for her charity work and oversees the Uweza Foundation, which supports empowerment programs for children and families in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya, one of the largest slums in Africa. Early life Mara was born and raised in Bedford, New York, a town in Westchester County about north of New York City.Serico, Chris (August 16, 2010). "Meet Rooney Mara, she's not just following in her sister's footsteps ". The Journal News. Retrieved on August 16, 2010. Mara's mother's family founded the Pittsburgh Steelers and her father's family founded the New York Giants. Her father, Timothy Christopher Mara, is the vice president of player evaluation for the New York Giants, and her mother, Kathleen McNulty (née Rooney), a part-time real estate agent. She is the third of four children: she has an older brother, Daniel, an older sister, Kate, who is also an actress, and a younger brother, Conor. Mara's father has Irish, German and French-Canadian ancestry, and her mother is of English, Irish and Italian descent. Her Rooney ancestors originated in Newry, County Down.Drew, April (August 18, 2010). "Rooney Mara, the girl with the shamrock tattoo". Irish Central. Retrieved on August 18, 2010. Her paternal grandparents were Wellington Mara and Ann Mara. Wellington was the long-time co-owner of the Giants, who was succeeded in that position by his son (Rooney Mara's uncle), John Mara. Rooney Mara's maternal grandfather, Timothy James "Tim" Rooney, has run Yonkers Raceway & Empire City Casino in Yonkers, New York since 1972.Staple, Arthur (January 30, 2009). "Rooney Mara links NFL's two royal families ". Newsday. Retrieved on January 31, 2009. Mara is the great-granddaughter of both New York Giants founder Tim Mara and Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney, Sr., as well as of Kathleen McNulty Rooney."Steelers, Giants memorabilia auctioned to help Kenyan orphans". December 11, 2008. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved on December 11, 2008. Her granduncle, Dan Rooney, was chairman of the Steelers, the former United States Ambassador to Ireland, the co-founder of The Ireland Funds charitable organization, and the architect of American Football's Rooney Rule. U.S. Representative Tom Rooney and former Florida State Representative Patrick Rooney Jr. are her cousin.Semnani, Heda (January 9, 2012). "Heard on the Hill: Six Degrees of Tom Rooney". Roll Call. Retrieved on February 16, 2013. After graduating from Fox Lane High School in 2003,"Bedford's Mara To Star In 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo'". CBS New York. August 17, 2010. Retrieved on August 19, 2010. she went to Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia in South America for four months as part of the Traveling School, an open learning environment. She attended George Washington University for a year and then transferred to New York University's Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where she studied psychology, international social policy and nonprofits,Dexter, Nancy (December 5, 2008). "Auction will benefit orphanage in Kenya". Bedford/Pound Ridge Record Review. graduating in 2010.Pearlman, Cindy (December 15, 2011). "Rooney Mara: The girl who chased the 'Dragon'". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved December 15, 2011. Mara was inspired to act by seeing musical theatre and classic movies, like Gone with the Wind (1939), Rebecca (1940), and Bringing Up Baby (1938), with her mother. She also wanted to be like her sister, Kate Mara, a professional actress. Mara resisted pursuing acting as a child, stating to The Journal News that "it never seemed that honorable to me, and I guess I was always afraid that I might fail." Her first and only role in high school was Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, which she got after being signed up to audition by a friend."Rooney Mara: Her Style Timeline". Allure. Retrieved December 15, 2011. Mara acted in a few student films while at NYU, and then began her career in acting, first auditioning at the age of nineteen. Acting career 2005–09: Career beginnings ]] Mara first appeared as an extra in films which starred her sister, including a bit-part in the 2005 direct-to-video horror film Urban Legends: Bloody Mary. She found work in television, making her professional debut in a 2006 episode of the drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, as a girl who bullies overweight children.Zakarin, Jordan (December 19, 2011). "Rooney Mara: 'Law & Order: SVU' Quote Out Of Context". The Huffington Post. Retrieved December 20, 2011. She guest-starred on the legal drama Women's Murder Club and played a drug addict in an episode of The Cleaner.Patches, Matt (April 27, 2010). "The New Girl: Nightmare on Elm Street's Rooney Mara ". UGO. Retrieved April 27, 2010. Mara made her feature film debut Dream Boy (2008) and guest-starred as Megan for two episodes of NBC's ER. In a coming-of-age film Tanner Hall (2009), Mara landed her first lead role, as Fernanda who has an affair with a married family friend (Tom Everett Scott).Barnard, Linda (September 19, 2009). "Today's TIFF mini reviews". Toronto Star. Retrieved on September 21, 2008. The film was the directorial debut of Princess Tatiana von Fürstenberg and Francesca Gregorini,Blackerby, Jeffries (September 21, 2009). "Now Previewing | 'Tanner Hall'". T Magazine. Retrieved on August 17, 2010. it debuted at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival and had a limited theatrical release in September 2011.Webster, Andy (September 8, 2011). "'Tanner Hall' Starring Rooney Mara — Review". The New York Times. Retrieved on September 14, 2011. Mara dropped her first name 'Patricia', to be known professionally by her middle name after working on the project. "I never really liked my first name," Mara stated to Paper magazine. "I never felt like a Tricia. And Rooney is more memorable".Davis, Peter (January 4, 2010). "Rooney Mara". Paper. Retrieved on March 30, 2018. Her father and younger brother also go by their middle names.Cheney, Alexandra (December 20, 2011). "Why 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' Stays Off Twitter". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved on December 22, 2011. In Miguel Arteta's comedy-drama film Youth in Revolt, Mara played Taggarty who tries to sleep with fifty men before she goes to college. The film was based on C.D. Payne's 1993 cult novel of the same name.Martin, Michael. "Rooney Mara". Interview. Retrieved on June 25, 2009.Goldstein, Gregg (June 23, 2008). "'Youth in Revolt' gathers troops". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on June 25, 2008. Mara had auditioned for the starring role, but was offered the smaller part when the lead went to Portia Doubleday.Ram, Archana (August 17, 2010). "'Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' star Rooney Mara is 'exceptionally gifted,' says her 'Youth in Revolt' director". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on August 17, 2010. Mara played Courtney in the 2009 independent film, Dare''Fleming, Michael (June 3, 2008). "Emmy Rossum takes indie 'Dare'". ''Variety. Retrieved 28 November 2019. and in The Winning Season as Wendy, a high school basketball player having an affair with a middle-aged shoe salesman (Kevin Breznahan) with a similar story to The Bad News Bears.Kernan, Kevin (December 14, 2008). "Rooney Mara's crusade for Kenyan orphans ". New York Post. Retrieved on December 14, 2008.Malkin, Marc (August 17, 2010). "Dragon Tattoo Girl Hooks Up With Pervy Shoe Salesman". E! Online. Retrieved on August 17, 2010. Both films were premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival and Mara was included on Filmmaker magazine's list of "25 New Faces of Independent Film" that year."Summer 2009: 25 NEW FACES". Summer 2009. Filmmaker. Retrieved on July 15, 2008. Mara starred in a remake of the 1984 horror film A Nightmare on Elm Street,Set Report: A Nightmare in Elm Street 2010. Dreadcentral.com (February 22, 2010). Retrieved on April 5, 2013. as the protagonist Nancy Holbrook, a high school student victimized by Freddy Krueger (Jackie Earle Haley).Vary, Adam B. (April 23, 2009). "'Nightmare on Elm Street' producers in final talks with new Nancy ". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on April 23, 2009. Mara began shooting the film in Chicago on May 5, 2009, directed by Samuel Bayer.Kit, Borys (April 23, 2009). "'Nightmare' beginning for trio of actors". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on April 23, 2009. Mara told Filmmaker that she felt that her Nancy was "completely different from the original" and "the loneliest girl in the world". Mara had signed on to continue her role if a sequel was made."Rooney Mara Signed on For 'Elm Street' Sequel". June 24, 2009. Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved on June 25, 2009. She stated to Vogue that she disliked the experience of making the film so much, that it made her question if she wanted to be an actress. Mara appeared at the Hamptons International Film Festival in October 2009 as part of its Breakthrough Performers Program, where she was tutored by Sharon Stone.Guzman, Rafer (September 6, 2009). "Sharon Stone to be honored at Hamptons film festival". Newsday. Retrieved on September 21, 2008. 2010–2016: Breakthrough and critical success , 2009]] In David Fincher's biopic drama film The Social Network, she played Erica Albright, who breaks up with Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook.Fischer, Russ (October 20, 2009). "Casting Notes: Selena Gomez in Teen Rom Com; The Social Network Gets New Kids; The Whistleblower Gets Proven Talent". /Film. Retrieved on October 20, 2009. In August 2010, Mara was cast as the lead in a film adaptation of the Millennium book trilogy by Stieg Larsson. She played Lisbeth Salander, a brilliant but troubled computer hacker who helps journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) solve a series of murders.Li, David K. (August 17, 2010). "This is 'The girl with the dragon tattoo'". New York Post. Retrieved on August 17, 2010. Mara won the role over several other actresses after two and a half months of auditions and screen tests.Kellogg, Carolyn (August 16, 2010). "Rooney Mara will be the girl with the dragon tattoo". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on August 16, 2010. David Fincher directed the first film, based on the novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, with Scott Rudin producing. The other books, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest, may be adapted, depending on box office performance.Snead, Elizabeth (December 19, 2011). "Why Rooney Mara Is Still Rocking Her 'Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' Look". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 20, 2011.Nicholson, Max (August 22, 2012). "Dragon Tattoo Sequel Delayed". IGN.com. Retrieved September 2, 2012. Fincher initially did not picture her as the character but changed his mind when she auditioned. He convinced executives at Columbia Pictures to cast her for the part.Siegel, Tatiana (August 16, 2010). "'Dragon Tattoo' casting raises questions". Variety. Retrieved August 24, 2010. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo began shooting in Sweden in September 2010.Sperling, Nicole (August 16, 2010). "'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' finds its Lisbeth Salander: Rooney Mara ". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on August 16, 2010. Mara did not consider the film to be a remake, but another interpretation of the novel. "I plan on giving my interpretation of the character," she stated to Variety.Heisler, Steve (October 15, 2010). "Rooney Mara: Clicks in 'Social Network'". Variety. Retrieved on October 20, 2010. Mara's long brown hair was cut short and dyed black, in a style reminiscent of 1970s punk and 1980s goth fashions. She also had each of her ears pierced four times, and had her brow and right nipple pierced for the role. Her nose and lip piercings were fake. She kept the nipple piercing so that it would not need to be re-pierced for a sequel. Mara's eyebrows were bleached, and she wore a temporary dragon tattoo.Hirschberg, Lynn (February 2011). "David Fincher Gets The Girl ". W. Retrieved January 13, 2011. She began preparing for the role by starting to skateboard and kickbox, and underwent dialect and computer training. She also visited Stockholm, the setting of the novel.Garron, Barry (December 5, 2011). "Mara finds comfort in being the 'Dragon' lady". Variety. Retrieved on December 11, 2011. The film was released on December 20, 2011.Weinstein, Joshua L. (December 13, 2011). "'Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' to Open a Day Early, to Beat the Yule Crush". Reuters. Retrieved on December 15, 2011. Mara received universal critical acclaim and was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for her performance."Nominees for the 69th Golden Globe Awards". Today. Associated Press. December 15, 2011. Retrieved on December 15, 2011. On January 24, 2012, she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance. In late 2011, Mara was considered for Kathryn Bigelow's action film Zero Dark Thirty, but the role went to Jessica Chastain. Mara replaced Carey Mulligan in Spike Jonze's film, Her (2013). Variety reported that Mulligan had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts, and Mara was selected to fill in alongside Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams and Scarlett Johansson. Mara starred in Steven Soderbergh's 2013 crime-thriller film Side Effects, replacing Blake Lively. The film also starred Jude Law, Channing Tatum, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Vinessa Shaw. She played Emily Taylor, "a woman who turns to prescription medication as a way of handling her anxiety concerning her husband's upcoming release from prison." That same year, she starred in David Lowery's 2013 independent film Ain't Them Bodies Saints which is described as a modern-day Bonnie and Clyde story, alongside Casey Affleck and Ben Foster. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2013 where IFC Films purchased the rights for U.S. distribution. In May 2013, she became the new face of Calvin Klein new fragrance Down Town. In 2014, Mara served as the costume designer on her former boyfriend Charlie McDowell's acclaimed independent film The One I Love starring Elisabeth Moss and Mark Duplass. She is credited as Bree Daniel. In 2015, Mara played Tiger Lily in the Joe Wright-directed fantasy film Pan, a role for which she received a great deal of criticism; she and Wright faced accusations of "whitewashing" a role originally written for a Native American. To express their concerns, Native American activists created a hashtag #NotYourTigerlily to protest Mara's casting and thousands of Native Americans participated in a "Twitterstorm" to share memes addressing their concerns about the portrayal of Native women in film. and Cate Blanchett promoting Carol at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.]] At the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, she tied for the Best Actress award for her role in the film Carol. She was also nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a British Academy Film Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance. In 2016, Mara voiced The Sisters in the stop motion animated film Kubo and the Two Strings. She starred alongside Ben Mendelsohn directed by Benedict Andrews in Una which had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on September 2, 2016. Mara next starred in Lion alongside Dev Patel and Nicole Kidman, revolving around an adopted man finding his family using Google Earth and The Secret Scripture, directed by Jim Sheridan. 2017–present In 2017, Mara appeared in The Discovery directed by Charlie McDowell and A Ghost Story, with Casey Affleck, directed by David Lowery. Both had their world premieres at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2017. Mara starred with Ryan Gosling, Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett and Val Kilmer in Terrence Malick's Song to Song, which was released in a limited release on March 17, 2017.Lodderhose, Diana (November 1, 2011). "Bale, Blanchett to star in two Terrence Malick pics". Variety. Retrieved on November 5, 2011. In 2018, Mara appeared in Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot, directed by Gus Van Sant, opposite Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill and Jack Black. The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2018. and was released on July 13, 2018, by Amazon Studios. That same year, Mara starred opposite Phoenix again in Mary Magdalene, directed by Garth Davis. The film was released in the United Kingdom on March 16, 2018, by Focus Features. It received negative reviews from critics. Also in 2018, Mara and Phoenix narrated the Australian vegan documentary Dominion, directed by Chris Delforce. She will next star in Nightmare Alley, a remake of the 1947 film of the same name, opposite Bradley Cooper, directed by Guillermo del Toro. Mara is attached to co-produce and star as Amanda Lindhout in the screen adaptation of the memoir A House in the Sky, Hiraeth Collective In February 2018, it was announced Mara, Sara Schloat, and Chrys Wong had started a vegan clothing line Hiraeth Collective, consisting of clothing, shoes, and accessories, designed by themselves. The clothing line is produced in Los Angeles, California. The clothing line was made available in select Barneys New York stores and online, beginning in August 2018. @barneysny #HIRAETH #animalfree #madeinlosangeles|website=Instagram.com|date=March 28, 2018|accessdate=April 24, 2018}} Charity work is one of the largest slums in Africa]] Mara founded the charity Faces of Kibera, which aimed to provide housing, food, and medical care for orphans in Kibera, a Nairobi, Kenya slum. The charity's goal was to build an orphanage in the region, for which 6 acres of land have been purchased. The charity auctioned memorabilia from the Steelers and Giants, as well as training camp events on eBay to raise money. She visited the area as a volunteer in 2006 and was moved to help the orphans, many whose parents have died from AIDS and HIV-related illnesses. She began the charity due to her frustration with the growing number of nonprofits that are just business opportunities. "The people who need help aren't really getting it. So I started my own", she told Interview magazine in 2009. Mara later found it challenging to balance her charity work and acting career. "I need to do both; I can't just do acting," she stated to The Journal News. In January 2011, Faces of Kibera merged with Uweza Foundation which runs community-based empowerment programs in Kibera, including soccer leagues and after-school tutoring. Uweza is a Swahili word meaning opportunity, ability, and power. Mara serves as the president of the board of directors for the foundation. Personal life Mara moved to Los Angeles in early 2007 and lived with her sister temporarily.'Sweet' Rooney Mara Enjoys Vegan Fare at Sundance – Park City, Sundance Film Festival, Caught in the Act, Rooney Mara, Restaurant. People.com (January 24, 2013). Retrieved on April 5, 2013.King, Susan (March 22, 2007). "She knows she tackled the right career". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on December 15, 2011. Although they do not live together anymore, Mara felt that the experience brought them closer together, and as of 2010 were regularly discussing the film business and movie scripts. As of January 2012, Mara lived in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles.Mead, Rebecca (January 2012). "Into the Deep". Allure. pp. 103–106. She includes Gena Rowlands among the actresses who inspire her, especially her performances in A Woman Under the Influence (1974) and Opening Night (1977). She is a vegan.Rooney Mara – Page. Interview Magazine. Retrieved on April 5, 2013.Blanco, Liane. (January 24, 2013) Actress Rooney Mara Is a Vegan, Enjoys Veg Food at Sundance. Ecorazzi. Retrieved on April 5, 2013. Since late 2016, she has been dating American actor Joaquin Phoenix, her co-star in Her (2013), Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018) and Mary Magdalene (2018). As of at least September 2017, they reside in the Hollywood Hills. In July 2019, it was confirmed that they are engaged. Filmography Film Television Awards and nominations References External links * * Uweza Foundation website }} Category:1985 births Category:21st-century American actresses Category:Actresses from New York (state) Category:Actresses of Irish descent Category:Actresses of Italian descent Category:American fashion designers Category:American film actresses Category:American people of Irish descent Category:American people of German descent Category:American people of French-Canadian descent Category:American people of Italian descent Category:American television actresses Category:American voice actresses Category:Best Supporting Actress AACTA International Award winners Category:Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress winners Category:George Washington University alumni Category:Living people Category:Mara family Category:New York University Gallatin School of Individualized Study alumni Category:People from Bedford, New York Category:Rooney family Category:Actresses of German descent